Oil still



Jan. 4, 1927. 1,613,306

J. E. BELL OIL STILL Filed Jan. 22, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 /ll/l' @a6 l qv/j y ,0e/7 0.5 J2- 4 I fw Jan. 4, 1927.

1,613,306 J.' E. BELL OIL STILL Filed Jan. 22, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 23 n v l ATTORNEYS Patented tlm. 4 1927..

UNF-TED STATES innate PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN-E. BELL, DECEASED, LATE 0F BROOKLYN, NEW YOIRiKyBY LOLA .'Bf. BELL, EX-

ECUTRIX, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR T0 SINCLAIR REFINING- COM- PANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A. CORPORATION 0F MAINE.

OIL STILL.

Application led January This invention relates to improvements in oil still settings and in the arrangements for heating oil stills. More particularly, the present invention relates-sto improvements in the construction and arrangement of oil still settings in which hot products of combustion of some suitable fuel are employed for heating the still externally. i

The accompanying drawings illustrate an apparatus embodying the invention and in which the objects and advantages of the invention are secured. It is one of the objects of the invention to provide a still setting and heating furnace of improved capacity "and efficiency. It is another object of the invention to provide faheating furnace in which the heating operation may be readily controlled and which is flexible in operation and capable ofl more or less sustained operation at high capacity and under overloads.-

It :isi a further object of the invention to provide a still setting and heating furnace in which these advantages 'of 'eiiciency and capacity and control are secured, and which is compact and easily kept in order. Other and further objects will appear as the inventiqn is described in connection with the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a vertical section -lof a still setting' embodying the invention, showing a frag-- mentary view of an oil still in place thereon,

Fig. 2 is a horizontal section on line 2---2 of Fig. 1,

Fig. 3 isa transverse section on line 3-3 of Fig. 1, Fig. 4 is a transverse section on line 4 4 of Fig. 1,

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary view, similar to Fig. 1, showing a modified fire box construction,

Fig. 6 is a view, on an enlarged scale, partly in plan and partly in horizontal section, of the air heater shown in the precedl scale, of a partition., member in the air heater,

22, 1925. Serial No. 3,989.

Fig. 11 is a transverse section of the partition member illustrated in Fig. 10,

Fig. 12 is a fragmentary View of one of i heater, and

'Fig 15 is another fragmentary view of this piping at right angles to Fig. 14.

The still 20 illustrated in the drawings is of the ordinary shell type and is fitted with the usual accessories. flhe still shell shown is 40 7 long and 12 6" in diameter. The drawings are scale drawings of an actual installation.

The heating furnace comprises a fire box 21. and a heating Hue 22, the still 20 being supported in the heating flue by the setting so that the hot combustion gases from the irebox pass over the heating surface of the still inthe heating flue. A refractory shield 23 and arches 24 are provided t0 shieldfto a certain extent, theheating surface of the still' rom direct radiation from the fire box, the refractory material of the arches and shield being heated by the radiant energy from the irebox and becoming secondary radiators so that a part of the radiantenergy is converted into sensible heat in the combustion gases.

Baiies 25 are also prczided in the heating flue to promote effective heat transfer as the temperature of the combustion gases decreases in flowing through the heatin flue. At the end of the setting away from t e lire box, the combustion gases, partially cooled by passage through the heating flue where they give up their heat to the still, escape and flow'downwardly through theflue 26.

From the lowerend of the flue 26, the artially` cooled combustion vgases may ow through the return flues 27 'or on downwardly to the stack flue 28 through connecting flues 29. Dampers 30 are arranged at the junction of the several flues t control the distribution of the spent heatin gases from the heating flue to the return ues 27 or directly to the -stack flue 28. Asshown in full. lines in Fig. 4 all of the gases are directed to the stack flue and as shown in dotted lines all of the gases are directed to the return iues 27. The opposite ends of the ,f

return ues 27 discharge into the stack flueA 32 is also provided in the stack iue 28.

iiues are made of minimum length and lowv .resistance to the flow of the combustion gases A series of air heating passages 33)are. arranged in the return lues 27 so that the combustion gases ttowing through the return flues pass over and about them. Air is supplied 'to the end of the heating passages adjacent the irebox from the duct 34 through connecting flues 35 having control dampers 44 therein. The other end of the air heating passages discharges into the common chamber 36 which communicates with the heated air passage 37. Arranged beneath the firebox 21 is a chamber 38 from which air for combustion 'of the fuelburned in the irebox is supplied through duct 39. The heated air passage 37 discharges into the chamber 38\ through connecting flue 40. By-pass connections 41 having dampers 42 therein are arranged for bypassing part of the cold air Supplied fromI the duct 34 directly to the chamber 38 through connecting iue 40. The return liues 27, the Vair hea'ting passages 33, and the heated air flue 37 vare advantageously combined in a unitary structure more fully illustrated in Figs. 6 to 9.

The rebox shown in. Fig. 1 is arranged for burning gaseous or liquid fuel, such as natural gas or fuel oil. v The fuel is introduced through the burner 43 and'mixes with heated air entering from the -chamber 38, combustion taking place principally in the firebox 21. The lirebox shown in Fig. 5 is arrangedfor burning solid fuel, such as coal or coke. `A grate 43a is provided for supporting the fuel in the irebox 2K1a and the heated air passage 40aL is arranged to dis charge into the space beneath the grate from which air vfor combustion is supplied through the grate. Refractory arches 24a are provided to shield the still bottom from direct radiation.

It will be apparent that the improved still setting of the invention is compact and 'that at the same time all of the elements are readily accessible for inspection and repair. The still setting is closely arranged and self contained and yheatylosses are minil mized. rllhe arrangement also is such that the flow of both the combustion gases andthe air for combustion is relatively free from obstruction in the setting. It will be noted that Vthe still setting is arranged in three general tiers. The heating tine in which the combustion gases are assed over the heat-V ing surface of the sti "s in the upper tier, the stack Hue is in the lower tier, and the air heater i s arranged in. the middle tier. By employlng thls arrangement, and by passing the combustion gases through the air, heater from the end of the setting away from thev firebox and supplying the air to the other end'of the air heater, the connecting and air for combustion is attained. The air heater, likewise, is advantageously arranged in two parts, as illustrated, with the 4duct for supplying heated air to the rebox arranged between the air heating passages so that heat loss from the heated air circulating to the rebox is avoided.

A particularlyadvantageous construction for the air heater is illustrated in some detail in Figs. `6 to 9, as well as in the following figures. In the structure so illustrated;

the return iiues, the air heating passages and the heated air duct are,combined in a unitary casing. The entire air heating apparatus may thus be inserted and removed from the still setting asa unit. The improved air heater structure of the present invention also promotes ecient and effective transfer of the heat in the waste heating gases to the air for combustion.

The casing of the improved air heater comprises side plates, 45 and 46, and top plate 47 land bottom plate 48. The top and bottom plates are made up in sections, a's shown, so that the vheater is "easily assembled and so that easy access is hadl tothe several compartments. of the heater. A 4pair of Walls, 49 and 50,fdivide the space within the heater into three longitudinal passages, -a central heated air duct 37, and return flue passages 27. These walls extend from the end of the 'casing A adjacent the lirebox to a point short of the other end of the casing B. Partitions 51 and 52 are arranged transversely of the outer passages between the walls 49 and.50 and the side plates 45 and 46 at both ends of the passages forming two return tlues between the pairs of partitions. The partitions 52 lat the end of the casing B thus provide a common chamber 53 communicating with the duct 37, the end of the casing being closed by plate 54. End plates' i supply ducts 35. At the end of the casing B openings 59 are provided in the top plate -47 communicating with that end of the return lues 27 and at the other end of the return ues openings 60 are provided inthe bottom plate 48.

Arranged in the return flues 27 .are a series of air heating passages 62 extending from the partitions 51 to the partitions 52, and communicating at one end with the supply compartments 57 and at the other with the chamber 53. The air heating passages. are made up of pairs of iiat sheets 62 and 63 riveted together at their edges and at their center for added strength, to orm relatively neiaaoe thin passages of rectangular crosssection whereby effective heat transfer is promoted, as shown in Figs. 12, and 13. At the ends of each of these fiat passages th'e riveted edges and the central web are cut back from the ends of the rectangular sections so that the ends of the rectangular sections, which register with the openings 64 in the sectional headers 58, will enter the openings in the headers. With this construction, the headers support the air heating passages in the casing and when the headers are riveted in the `casing the entire structure is held 'in place permanently. Spacing elements 65 may also be arranged at intervals in the casing to maintain uniform the passages in the return iues, and these elements also assist in making the entire heater structure more rigid. With the construction shown, any one of the air heating passages may be readily removed simply by removing the end plate 54 and the header section connected to that passage at that end of the casing. ln Fig. 9 it will be noted that the left Hue passage is shown without the air heating passages inplace. Y

For the purpose of maintaining high eiliciency in the heater, soot blowers are provided for periodically removing from the exterior of the air heating passages any soot deposited thereon by the combustion gases.

1n the still setting illustrated, these soot blowers consist of a pair of pipes 66 and 67 extending' through the air heater transversely of the air heating passages and having a series of nozzles 68 thereon directed into the-spaces between the air heating passages. The pipes 66 and 67 are arranged within the casing of the airheater so that they are entirely external to and do not penetrate the air heating passages, minimizing air leakage in the heater and consequent ineiiiciency. These pipes are rotatably mounted, and hand wheels 69 are provided outside of the setting for ef-` fecting rotation of the pipes so that jets from the nozzles 68 can be directed to all parts of v the surfaces 'of the air heating passages. These pipes are connected to a steam header 70 through connections 71 and 7 2 respectively in which separate control valves 73 and 74 are provided. A valved outlet 75 is arranged for draining the connections between the steam header and the nozzle pipes.

The air heating unit may be inserted in and removed from the still setting through the closure 76. v When in place in the setting,

the openings 61 in theair supply compartments register with the ducts 35 and the end i of the passage 37 with the flue` 40, andthe openings 59 open intothe flue 30 and the openings 60 into the flues 31, so that the -air supplied from the duct 34 flows through the heatin passages from A toward B and then back t rough the central passage and the waste combustion gas'es from B toward A about the heating passages, the waste combustion gases thereby being cooled and giving up their heat to the air flowing through the heating passages and preheating the air for combustion.

In the actual operation of the apparatus illustrated, using the still as a coke still, the still was charged with about 960 barrels of Burbank crude oil of a gravity of about 38o B. And distillation was begun. When the stream of condensate showed a gravity of about 49o B. an additional 240 barrels of crude oil were added at the rate of approximately barrels per hour so that the total charge was about 1200 barrels of crude oil. Air was supplied to the duct 34 under a pressure of about 6 to 6% of water by means of a blower and a draft of about 0.02 of Water was maintained in the I'irebox during the entire firing period. The firing time to pot was about 30 hours. The air heater, as illustrated, had a total heating surface of about 2000 sq. ft., a cross section for the passage of combustion gases of about 8.5 sq. ft.

and for the passage of air of about 2.6 sq. ft. The temperature of the combustion gases entering the heater averaged about 700 F. and was reduced to about 30.0O F. in the heater, and the temperature of the air entering the heater averaged about 7 0o F. and that leaving about 425 F. Natural gas was used as fuel and about 195 cu. ft. of a caloriiic value of about 1083 B. t. u. cu. ft. were consumed per barrel of charge. rlhe heater absorbed upwards of 500,000 B. t. u. per hour from the waste gases and this heat was substantially all returned to the fire box. A saving of 14% to 15% or more was effected in fuel consumption and at the same time the operation of the still could be closely controlled.

The improved still settingof the present and while decreasing fuel costs makes a decided improvement in still operation possible. The firing capacity is much increased and the still can be forced, particularly during the early part of the r'un, without high fuel loss. The increased firing capacity also invention enables a marked saving in fuel, l

llO

enables the making up of time so that the still can be kept on schedule. In coke stills, a minimum of excess air can be employed during the coking period with close control of the ireboX conditions. The control of,the tiring operation afforded bycontrol of the temperature, as well as thel amount, of air supplied for combustion, also makes it easy to regulate the still operation. l

What is claimed as-new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent of the United States is:v

1. In an oilV still setting, a 'irebox adjacent one end of the setting, a heating flue for conducting combustion gases from the firebox tothe other end of the setting over the heating surfaces-.of a still arranged thereon,

dit

a pair or return nues in the setting communicating'with the heating iiue at the end of the setting away from the firebox and connected at their other end to a stack tine, a. passage arranged between vthe return ihres and discharging into the lirebox at its near end, and air heating passages iii the return liies with the air inlets at the end adjacent the irebox and dischar 'ing into the passage between the return ues at the end of the setting away from the rebox.

2L In anl oil still setting, a tirebox adjacent one' end of the setting, a heating tlue lor conducting combustion gases from the tire boX to the other end of the setting overr the .heating surfaces ot a still arranged thereon,

a return Hue in the setting communicating with the heating flue at the end of the setting away from the ireboX, air heating passages arranged inthe return iiue with the .air inlet at the end adjacent the firebox, means arranged within said air-heating pas- Sages for dividing up the incoming air into sinall streams, a heated air .flue common to all of said air-heating passages for conducting air from the other end ofthe air heating passages to the -iireboin an air supply due communicating with the inlet to the air heating passages, and a iiue with a damper therein connecting the air supply due and the heated air flue. i

3. An improved oil still setting arranged in three superimposed tiers, comprising a lheating due arranged in the upper tier, v.a

pair of return rlues and a heated air passage therebetween arranged in' the middle tier, and a stack flue arranged in the lower tier, said stack flue extending beneath the return dues 'the entire length of said return fines, av irebox arranged at one end oif the setting communicating with the adjacent end' ot the heating due, a flue connecting the.

other, end of the heating flue with the adjacent end of the A"re/turn tlues, dues connecting' i the ends of the returnfiues ad] acent the rebon with the stach flue. air heating passages in the return ues 'and connected with the heated air passage at the end of the setting away from the irebox, air supply dues lconnected to the other end of the air heating passages, and a connection between the firebox and the end of: the heated air passage adjacent the irebox.

e 4. ln an air heater, a unitary casing enclosing a pair 'of tlues adapted for passage of combustion gases therethrough and a heated air passage arranged between .the first mentioned iues, partitions in the casing closing both ends of both said d ues the partitions at one end of theues being arranged away from the end of the casing to provide a common chamber communicating with the heated air passage, the partitins at the other end being arranged to provide air supply compartments within the casing at'tlie endbf the fluees, openings on one side of the .casing` into the said iiues at one end and openings on the other side of the casing into the said iues at the other end, andair heat-` ing passages arranged in the said fines between Vthe said partitions communicating at one end with the air supply compartments i passages being formed of thin sheets astened together by webs extending beyond the passage proper, the ends ot' the passage proper being oit size and shape ,-to nt the apertures iii the headers and the webs bein cut bach from the end oit the passages, said passages being ,supported between the headers by the end portions of the passages V`extending therethrough and being held in place between the headers by the extending webs abutting thereagainst, and inlet and outlet openings through the casing into the tine between the headers.'

6. ln a heater unit tor furnaces, the coin- Vbination with a casing, of three longitudinally disposed parallel compartments, combined aircondiicting passages and passages' for furnace flue gases positioned within the outside compartments@ chamber in one end of the casing connecting said air conducting passages with the intermediate compartnient-s, said casing being constructed at its opposite end for the admission oit cold air to said air conducting passages and the discharge ot the heated air from the intermediate compartment.

7. ln a. heater iinit for furnaces, the conibination with a casing, of spaced parallel. iiues disposed along opposite side walls within the casing, air passages arranged within said nues, an intermediate air passage formed by the spacing ot said dues, a transversely arranged chamber in one end of the casing communicating with the adjacent ends of all of 'saidair passages, said casing being constructed atits opposite end for the admission of air to the air passages in the spaced parallel iiiies and the Ydischarge oit the air vfrom the intermediate passage, and

means for supplying a, heating medium to and around'the air passages in said hues.

8.- ][n a heater unit for furnaces, the combination with a' casing, of spaced varallel iues disposed along opposite side wal within the casing, an intermediate passage formed by the spacing ot' said dues, headers transversely arranged in opposite ends of said lues and spaced from the endsot the casing, a series of air conducting passages connecting said headers, a transversely dis, posed chamber in one end of the casing'conllt) iao

necting the air conducting passages and the intermediate passage, said casing being constructed at its opposite end for the admission of cold air to the series of air conducting passages and the discharge of heated air from the intermediate passage, and means for admitting a heating medium to and around the air conducting passages in said fines.

In testimeny whereof I affix my signature. 

